Box lubricator pad for journals in railway cars



Dec. 1, 1959 F. E. LuKENs 2,915,343

BOX LUBRICATOR PAD FOR JOURNALS IN RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. s, 195e 1N VEN TOR.

UnitedI States tet BOX LUBRICATR PAD FOR JOURALS IN RAILWAY CARS Frederick E. Lukens, Palos Heights, lll., assigner to Spring Packing Corporation, Chicago, lll., a corpora tion of Illinois Application August 3, '1956, Serial No. 601,984

1 Claim. (Cl. 3tB88S) This invention relates to journal box lubricating pads and more particularly to a pad which is completely selfcontained.

For many years it has been the practice to utilize loose material as packing in journal boxes for railroad cars and the like. Various means have been adopted to maintain this packing in its proper operating position in the journal box both by incorporating material within the packing itself such as springs or the like, and also by the use of retaining members adapted to hold the packing in proper association with the element being lubricated. The principal difficulty with loose packing, such as cotton waste, is that small portions thereof are likely to be pulled yaway from the mass of material and may actually be carried around the shaft or axle and into engagement with the bearing therefor. Even a relatively small amount of such material if so displaced may seriously affect the lubrication of the rotating member and often times result in the development of a hotbox.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a journal box lubricating pad which is self-contained in 'the sense of being a unitary assembly adapted to provide the required conduction of lubricating material to the bearing surfaces.

A further object is to provide a lubricating pad of the character described which has integrally formed therewith a plurality of stiffening members adapted to prevent the displacement of the pad in substantially the same manner as previously utilized by separately formed retaining members.

A still further object is to provide a lubricating pad of the character described which has an internal resiliency such that there is no tendency for the pad to take a set and, therefore, reduce its effectiveness as a lubricating device.

Another object is to provide a lubricating pad of the character described which has substantial resistance to lateral deformation so that the pad is prevented from gradually creeping out of its proper position of operation in the direction of rotation of the shaft with which it is associated. Still another object is to provide a selfcontained lubricating pad of the character described which may be readily inserted and removed from the journal box of a railway car.

A yet further object is to provide a pad which is so constructed that it provides `a capillary reservoir for the lubricating material which is of such a character that the lubricating material may be fed directly through the pad.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view in section of a journal Patented Dec. 1, 1959 ice box showing the journal lubricator pad of the invention installed therein.

Figure 2 is the view in section taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the separate component parts which, when assembled, make up the lubricator pad of the invention.

Figure 4 is a view in cross section of the assembled lubricator pad.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the lubricator pad, partially broken away to show the various components thereof.

Referring :to Figures l and 2 in the drawings, there is illustrated a typical railway car journal box 11. Rotatably mounted and housed within the journal box is a 'journal i2 on the end of an axle 14. The journal has a collar i4 and rotates in the crown bearing 1S above which is the customary Wedge 16. ln the end of the journal box is an opening through which the lubricator pad may be inserted or removed. The opening is closed by a lid At the inner end of the journal box is a dust guard cavity i8. The lubricator, indicated generally by reference numeral Ztl, fits between the journal and the bottom wall of the journal box. Referring now particularly to Figures 3 through 5, it will be seen that the lubricator is made up of a hollow pad 21 having two layers. The outer iayer 22 isa cotton tufted fabric with the piles projecting to the outside. The inner layer 23 is a wool felt having high oil wicking and absorption properties. The wool felt aids in insuring a continual ilow of lubricant from the bottom wall of the journal box to the outer layer of cotton tufted fabric which is held against the journal. |The outer layer has end portions 24 which are folded inwardly and sewn to the inner layer, as best shown in Figure 3.

A pair of handle members 25 of a fabric material may be sewn to the pad at the ends thereof. The handle members are used in inserting and removing the lubricator from the journal box.

A plurality of brass springs 26 of an oval shape mounted in the pad of the lubricator are held together by connecting strips 27.

The springs give resiliency and prevent the pad from creeping and twisting while the journal is rotating, especially during start-ups in cold weather.

Within the center of the pad is a resilient core which holds the pad against the journal wi-thout permanent deformation, and also aids in wicking oil. As illustrated in the drawing, the resilient center may be a plurality of resilient stack members 3@ which extend along the length thereof. The resilient stack members supply a spring action to the pad and hold a portion in contact with the journal and another portion of the pad immersed in the lubricator, as well as wick oil to the pad. The resilient stack members are formed of a web of fibrous material, such as long strand winter cattle hair folded back and. forth upon itself into a narrow column. The stack members may be coated with an oil resistant plastic resin material. The stack members are held together in a container 3:1 of `an oil absorbent material, such as cotton duck.

Other types of material may be used in the center of the lubricator pad, such as cellulose and plastic sponge. lf sponge is employed, it may be formed of a solid piece.

he entire lubricator after assembly may be coated with a colorless silicone oil which assists in starting in cold weather. This is of advantage since lubrcators sometimes freeze to the journal. Also the silicone oil treatment will leave a long life film on the journal and will not flash olf at ordinary temperatures. It also increases the wearing life of the lubricator.

In the drawing and specication, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation. Changes in form and in the proportion of parts, asV well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as further dened in the following claim.

I claim:

A lubricator for railway journals having an axle, an axle bearing, and a journal box providing a well containing a lubricant, comprising a hollow pad having an outer and inner layer, said outer layer being a wicking material of cotton tufted fabric with the piles projecting to the outside, said inner layer being a wool felt having high obsorbent and wicking properties for aiding in continualow of lubricant from the bottom of the journal box to saidV outer layer of cotton tufted fabric, a plurality of spaced metal spring members of oval conguration mounted within said pad for giving the pad resiliency and preventing creeping and twisting while the journal is rotating, connecting strips holding said spring members, a

4 resilient center core within said pad for imparting spring action to and maintaining a portion of said pad in contact with' the journal with another portion immersed in the lubricant, and fabric handle members secured to the ends of said hollow pad for inserting and removing said lubricator from the journal box.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 127,391 Vose et al. May 28, 1872 1,810,443 Steurs June 16, 1931 2,115,457 Cunningham et al. Apr. 26, 1938 2,762,667 Harkenrider Sept. 11, 1956 2,781,239 Potter Feb. 12, 1957 2,807,803 Rockwell Sept. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 654,759 France Dec. 7, 1928 OTHER REFERENCES Perfect Journal Lubrication, published by Lubrication Products Co., Cleveland, Ohio, June l, 1937. 

